Helpful Tips You Wish You Knew Sooner

  1. Bananas Ripen Slower
    Separate your bananas when you get home from the store. Keeping them attached at the stem speeds up ripening.
  2. Cheese Stays Fresh
    Wrap opened cheese in aluminum foil to keep it fresh longer and prevent mold.
  3. Choosing Peppers
    Peppers with three bumps are sweeter and best for eating raw, while those with four bumps are firmer and better for cooking.
  4. Cooking Ground Beef
    Add a teaspoon of water when frying ground beef. It helps separate grease from the meat as it cooks.
  5. Rich Scrambled Eggs
    For extra creamy scrambled eggs or omelets, mix in a couple of spoonfuls of sour cream, cream cheese, or heavy cream before beating the eggs.
  6. Minty Brownie Delight
    For a minty twist on brownies, melt Andes mints in a double boiler and pour over warm brownies for a delicious mint frosting.
  7. Perfect Garlic Flavor
    Add garlic early in a recipe for a milder taste. Add it toward the end for a stronger flavor.
  8. Snickers Apple Dessert
    Got leftover Snickers bars from Halloween? Chop them up, sprinkle over sliced apples, and bake at 350°F for 15 minutes. Serve alone or with vanilla ice cream—yum!
  9. Crispy Reheated Pizza
    Reheat pizza in a nonstick skillet on medium-low to keep the crust crispy—no more soggy microwave pizza!
  10. Easy Deviled Eggs
    Mash cooked egg yolks in a ziplock bag, add the rest of your ingredients, reseal, mix thoroughly, snip off a corner, and squeeze into the egg whites. Easy cleanup!
  11. Double Your Frosting
    Whip store-bought frosting with a mixer for a few minutes. You’ll get more frosting and reduce sugar intake per serving!
  12. Moist Reheated Bread
    When reheating biscuits, pancakes, or muffins, place them in the microwave with a cup of water. The steam helps keep them moist.
  13. Weed-Free Garden
    Place wet newspapers around your plants before adding mulch. The paper blocks weeds better than gardening plastic.
  14. Picking Up Broken Glass
    Use a damp cotton ball or Q-tip to pick up tiny shards of broken glass that are hard to see.
  15. Mosquito Repellent Hack
    Tuck a dryer sheet in your pocket to keep mosquitoes away.
  16. Keep Squirrels Away
    Sprinkle cayenne pepper on your plants. It won’t harm the plants, and squirrels will steer clear.
  17. Vacuum Flexibility
    Attach an empty paper towel or gift wrap tube to your vacuum nozzle. This helps reach narrow spaces under furniture or in vents.
  18. Reduce Static Cling
    Pin a small safety pin inside the seam of your clothes to stop static cling. Works for skirts, dresses, and even slacks with pantyhose!
  19. Sticky Measuring Cups
    To measure sticky ingredients like peanut butter, fill the cup with hot water first, then pour it out (or spray with cooking spray). The ingredient will slide right out.
  20. No More Foggy Windshields
    Keep a chalkboard eraser in your car. When your windshield fogs up, rub it with the eraser for a clear view.
  21. Reopen Sealed Envelopes
    Sealed an envelope too soon? Place it in the freezer for a couple of hours, and it will unseal easily.
  22. Shave with Conditioner
    Hair conditioner makes a great, cost-effective substitute for shaving cream and leaves legs silky smooth.
  23. Goodbye Fruit Flies
    Trap fruit flies by filling a small glass halfway with apple cider vinegar and adding two drops of dish soap. The flies will be attracted to the mixture and trapped.
  24. Get Rid of Ants Naturally
    Sprinkle cornmeal where you see ants. They’ll eat it, carry it back to their nest, but can’t digest it, leading to their demise. It’s safe for pets and kids too.
  25. Dryer Filter Tip
    Even if you clean your dryer’s lint filter regularly, dryer sheets can leave a waxy buildup that causes overheating. Clean the filter with hot soapy water and a toothbrush every six months.

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